Do mother birds really pretend to have a broken wing to protect their young?

Answer 1

Oh, yes. Anything to get the intruder away from the nest, even if it takes her life, which she doesn't plan on happening. Now the broken wing thing does not cover all birds. You would find that many ground nesting species. Some common ducks just make themselves noticeable and lead intruders away from the nest. Other birds become very aggressive. Have you ever seen a Catbird beat up on a poor cat? She dives and pecks and doesn't give up until the cat disappears.